Anette Olzon's 'Strong' - Album Review

Every symphonic metal fan worth their salt with be familiar with the work of Anette Olzon. While she has been a part of a number of projects over the years, she is best known for her five-year stint fronting the Finnish band Nightwish. The Swedish singer, who up to that point was better known in melodic rock circles for being the singer of Alyson Avenue, was catapulted to fame overnight - along with all the pros and cons that her new role brought with it. Nightwish had not long broken into the big time - at least here in the UK. The band's fifth album, 2004's Once, had been a big deal; but all was clearly not well in the ranks. So much so that, following the conclusion of their biggest tour to date, Nightwish publicly, and dramatically, fired their talismanic lead singer Tarja Turunen - who's classically-trained voice had been a big part of their sound to that point. Olzon, with her poppy voice, had the unenviable task of replacing Turunen - and attempting to impress the band's dedicated and, at times, rabid fanbase. In my opinion, Olzon was more than up for the task of fronting Nightwish; and she owned the stage when I saw the band live for the first time in 2009. I think that it is fair to say, however, that there was an element of the band's fanbase that she never managed to win over - and looking back I wonder if she never really meshed with the personalities of the rest of the band either as, after five years and two albums, she met a similar fate to Turunen, and was sacked unceremoniously part-way through an American tour. Following her sacking from Nightwish, Olzon largely stepped back from the music business. Her debut solo album Shine was released in 2013 to little fanfare, and it essentially slipped from view a few weeks after its release. I still have not heard Shine, which I need to rectify, but that goes to show how little was made of it at the time - as Olzon had become one of my favourite singers during her time with Nightwish. In recent years, however, Olzon has been more active again - particularly in the metal world. In 2017 she launched The Dark Element with former Sonata Arctica guitarist Jani Liimatainen, a Frontiers Records project with which she has now released two excellent symphonic/power metal albums: 2017's The Dark Element (which I reviewed here) and 2019's Songs the Night Sings (which I also reviewed here). Now that Frontiers Records have their claws in Olzon, she has started to show up all over the place. Last year she was part of an album with Symphony X's Russell Allen called Worlds Apart, and earlier this year she sung on a metal opera by the new act Heart Healer. Both of these projects were spearheaded by one of Frontiers' in-house writers/producers Magnus Karlsson (Last Tribe; Starbreaker; Primal Fear; The Ferrymen), so it was almost inevitable that he would team up with Olzon on a project of her own. The result of this inevitable pairing is Strong, Olzon's second solo album, which was written by Olzon and Karlsson. It is not hugely dissimilar to the two The Dark Element albums - albeit with a bit of a heavier, more gothic vibe throughout. There are still plenty of hooks and symphonic flourishes however, and the album is very enjoyable as a result.

Those familiar with the two The Dark Element albums will instantly recognise the style of the opening number Bye Bye Bye. The poppy symphonic metal sound that Olzon forged with Liimatainen has been re-forged here with Karlsson - and the song is memorable thanks to Olzon's infectious vocal hooks and Karlsson's symphonic trappings. As with most of Karlsson's projects for Frontiers, he is responsible for most of what is heard throughout. He handles the album's guitars, bass guitars, and keyboards - with support coming from drummer Anders Köllerfors, who essentially spends his time drumming on all of Karlsson's albums for Frontiers. The main difference between Strong and The Dark Element however is the inclusion of harsh vocals in many of the album's songs. Olzon's husband Johan Husgafvel (Pain) provides the growls, but sadly they are one of the weakest elements of the album. Husgafvel, who is primarily bass player, does not have a great harsh vocal delivery - and his additions to the album fall a bit flat for me. His barked bridge during Bye Bye Bye certainly feels a bit weak, and the song would have been better off without it in my opinion. Sick of You is similar in style, but reins the overtly-poppy hooks and instead goes for a more epic overall approach which pushes the album's heavier, more gothic tinges nicely. The chorus is still very hooky, but the rest of the song is much darker on the whole with an emphasis on strings, double bass drumming, and lots of shredded solos. Being such an accomplished musician, it is unsurprising that Karlsson regularly takes the opportunity throughout the album to show off his talents. Symphonic metal is usually fairly devoid of big soloing, but there is a lot of lead guitar throughout the album. Karlsson's solos are always welcome, and he helps to add a harder, more virtuosic edge to the album as a result. I Need to Stay opens with some choral vocals and strings, but it is not long before a fairly typical symphonic metal rhythm kicks in with rolling drums and sparkling synths. As much as the album tends to take a slightly heavier road, there are still songs here that sound like exactly the sort of thing that Olzon's fans have come to expect from her. I Need to Stay is very much a typical symphonic metal track. The guitars rarely take the lead, instead providing tough rhythms, while the vocals and synths/orchestrations drive the song melodically. Songs like this always allow the vocalist to shine, and Olzon sounds great throughout - whether this be during the wordless multi-layered choral sections or while she is belting out the chorus. The album's title track follows, and it takes a slightly more industrial, groove-laden path with a strong drum performance throughout and a prominent bass presence. Karlsson's guitar riffing throughout is quite mechanical, and the song's overall pace brings Sabaton to mind at times - although the sound is less bombastic and more groove-based. The change of style allows Olzon to showcase a different side of her voice, which works well, and the song is a standout cut as a result. I would like to see her trying more songs like this in the future, as they provide a change from her usual symphonic metal style.

Parasite ups the pace again and returns to something close to Olzon's trademark sound, but heavier and with a greater sense of urgency. Husgafvel actually opens the song vocally, and parts of the track are sung in a call-and-response style - which is a better way of using Husgafvel's voice in my opinion as in small doses his flat-sounding growl works well as a contrast to Olzon. That being said however, Olzon sings the song is a much gritter way than usual and it is probably one of the most powerful vocal performances that she has ever laid down. The song itself is great too, and is a strong mix of melody and metal grit. Parts of the song are very Nightwish-esque, with rolling piano to back the guitar riffs, while other sections have a slightly more modern sound - but everything comes together nicely and the song is a real highlight as a result. Sad Lullaby opens rather grandly, with soaring strings, and the ballad-esque piece acts as a real change of pace following a couple of heavier numbers. The song's opening is sung by Olzon alone, backed only by the strings, but the rest of the band do eventually kick in to back her up and add some overall power. Even though this makes the song heavier, the pace never increases. As a result, the song retains its ballad-esque style - the slower pace allowing Olzon to lay down an emotionally-charged vocal performance. She has always sung ballads well, and Sad Lullaby is another excellent addition to her collection of slower songs. Fantastic Fanatic ups the pace again however, and the song is another poppy track that sounds like it could have sat on one of The Dark Element's albums. There is a jaunty vibe throughout the song that is a bit different to most of the other songs here, with the darker feelings that permeate the rest of the album being largely absent. The chorus is one of the album's biggest, and it was one that really jumped out to me on first listen. Lots of the songs here are memorable, but it is an album that needed a few listens to fully appreciate for me despite the melodies throughout. Fantastic Fanatic however was a song that stood out from the off, and its chorus has become a real earworm for me. It is one of the more predictable songs here, but that is not a negative in my opinion - as the hooks make it a winner. Who Can Save Them is another very melodic track, but it is less poppy and more bombastic. The gothic tropes are back, and the strings overall have a much darker feel - with the main refrain being extremely hooky and backed nicely by Karlsson's guitar. The guitar is generally pretty prominent throughout the piece too, with the heaviness of the instrument helping to bulk out the song. There are even a few pinch harmonics thrown in to add some dynamics to the piece - which is something that is not commonly heard throughout the album.

Catcher of My Dreams was another song that stood out to me on my first listen to the album, but that is probably because it could have been an outtake from Nightwish's 2007 album Dark Passion Play - Olzon's debut with the band. Karlsson has really nailed Tuomas Holopainen's songwriting style: from the folky inflections to many of the melodies to the slightly choppy rhythm guitar presence. Olzon even sings the song in the style that she used throughout Dark Passion Play. She tends to sing in a somewhat poppier way now, but the grittier Nightwish approach serves the song well - and it helps it to sound even more like a Nightwish outtake as a result. The giveaway that this is not a Nightwish song however is some of the shredded guitar leads, which are far flashier than the vast majority of Nightwish's guitar solos, but they are short-lived so the illusion is not wholly broken. The song is another highlight as a result of this throwback sound - and it takes me back to properly discovering Nightwish with Dark Passion Play back in 2008. Hear Them Roar is more typical of the album's core sound, with dancing gothic strings and a chorus that is packed full of pop hooks. There is an urgency to the song however, with lots of great riffing throughout and some of the most prominent traditional synth playing on the album. The synths throughout are usually used for depth, or to simulate strings, but there are a few synth riffs and leads in the song that briefly shine the spotlight on the instrument. While Karlsson is primarily known as a guitarist, he is also an accomplished keyboard player and I am glad that he took the opportunity to show off his keyboard playing a little during Hear Them Roar - as it makes it stand out somewhat despite its overall sound being pretty typical of the rest of the album. The album's closing number, Roll the Dice, again largely sticks to the album's core sound - but it does have a slightly more epic feel than much of the rest of the album. This is appropriate given the song closes the album, but the differences are not significantl. Olzon's vocal performance certainly feels a little more heroic than usual, and the song has been designed in a way to show her off - with a slower chorus and more grand strings. There are still plenty of pop hooks however, and the melodies are easy to latch onto. This helps the song to fit in with the album's core sound, while also allowing it to feel like a fitting closing coda. Everything about the song just feels a little bigger than what came before, and the album ends on a high as a result. In fact, most of the album is a high. Despite my reservations with some of the harsh vocal-led sections, the vast majority of Strong is very good indeed. There is just enough variety to keep things interesting, and the songwriting throughout from Olzon and Karlsson is consistent. It is a pairing that seems to work well, and I would like to see the two teaming up again in the future for a follow-up album.

The album was released on 10th September 2021 via Frontiers Records. Below is Olzon's promotional video for Parasite.